Acetylene generator



June 3, 1941. J DIKEN 2,244,419

ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l James CDichensINVENTOR. BY A @mu ATTORNEYfi June 3, 1941. Q mcKENs 2,244,419

ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed Oct. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dameaC.Die/(ens INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 3, 1941 AC'ETYLENE GENERATOR James C. Dickens,Kilgore, Tex., assignor of onehalf to W. H. Taylor, Kilgore, Tex.

Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,717

Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for generating acetyleneinstallations which are intended for either home or public use.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this generalcharacter having im-. proved means for closing the carbide chamberentirely from the liquid chamber.

It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient means forpreventing damage from back-firing during the operation of the device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for eliminatingthe accumulations of material in the lower portion of the liquidcontainer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient means forpreventing a dangerous accumulation of gas in the carbide container.

Referring to the drawings herewith,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a tank or receptacleand illustrating my improved construction therein.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of one portion of the container.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section showing the means for preventingaccumulation of material in the lower portion of the tank.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Devices of the general character of that which constitutes the subjectof this invention are common. Many of them have automatic means forcontrolling the feed of carbide into the water tank. The presentinvention consists in improvements upon the general structure of thecontrol devices employed in devices of this kind.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a tank or container l which forms a generalhousing for the complete device. The lower end of the container has anirregular concaved bottom wall 2 closing the lower end of the containerexcept for an outlet pipe 3 having therein a hand-operated valve 4.Toward the upper end of the container above the water level the walls ofthe container are tapered upwardly and the upper end is closed by a capor cover member 4. Said cover member is provided with a flangeconnection at 5 with the main body of the tank. The upper end of saidcover has an opening therein closed by the threaded plug 6.

which is clamped between the flanges of the housing and the covermembers, as shown at 5, and it will be understood that a fluid tightseal is formed at this point. Toward the lower end of the hopper Iprovide a cylindrical outlet passage 9 for the carbide.

The outlet passage is adapted to be closed by means of a compound valveincluding an upper tapered valve member l0 and a lower compressiblevalve member II, the two members being connected by a stem l2. The uppertapered valve member is of such diameter as to move into the passage 9and close off the exit of carbide therefrom. The compressible valvemember I l is approximately spherical in shape and is preferably made ofa comparatively soft rubber. However, it will be understood that anydesired compressible material may be employed.

The valve member II is of larger diameter than the passage 9 and may bemoved to a sealing position with the lower rim of said passage.

The valve is operated both automatically and manually. The automaticoperation is accomplished through means of a bellows member [3. Thisbellows comprises a plate presented inwardly to the tank and hinged at Mto swing on said hinge as an axis. I provide a bellows l5 between theplate I3 and the wall of the housing to form an inner chamber it, whichhas air at atmospheric pressure therein. The side wall I 3 isheld'inwardly to extended position of the bellows member by means of aspring I! fitting over a pin upon the plate l3 and against the head l8of an adjusting screw l9. Said adjusting screw works through a threadedhead 20 upon a laterally extending boss 2! in the plate 22 which closesan opening in the side wall of the housing. It will be understood thatthe spring I! may be adjusted to hold the plate l3 0f the bellows memberinwardly to a predetermined position.

Toward the lower end of the plate [3 is a laterally extending ear 23which has an opening therein to receive the rod 24. Said rod is extendedlaterally and inwardly to connect at 25 with a bell crank lever 28. Saidbell crank lever is pivoted within an eyelet 21 upon a bracket 28 fixedupon the side wall of the hopper. Said lever is extended across to theopposite side of the hopper and forwardly to connect at 29 with a link30. Said link is extended downwardly and connected at 3| with a plate 32which is hinged at 33 adjacent the side wall of the hous- The pivotmember 33 is connectedto a shaped support member 34, said support. is inthe form of a rod which is extended around the wall of the passage 9from the hopper and secured thereto by welding. or otherwise. Itfurnishes the support for the pivot 33 and also for a U-shape yoke 35,which depends downwardly below the plate 32 and furnishes a support fora. hand-operated crank rod 36. Said crank rod is extended laterallythrough the wall of the housing, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, andhas on its end a crank arm 31. Between the two arms of the U-shapedsupport 35 the rod is provided with a crank arm 38, which, when the rodis rotated in a bearing 39 in the wall of the container, may be movedupwardly to engage the lower side of the plate 32, and move the sameupwardly. When the crank arm is in its lower positionaway from the plate32 it engages with a hook member 49 on the lower side of the plate 32.

It will be seen from the construction thus described that when gaspressure within the upper end of the container l becomes high enough tocompress the bellows member and move the plate l3 outwardly this willexert a pull through the rod 24 on the bell crank lever 26 and raise thearm 29 and through the connecting link 39 move the plate 32 with thevalve thereon upwardly. In the normal operation in this manner thetapered valve member I will move upwardly into the cylindrical passage 9and close off the feeding of any further carbide into the container.This will be suificient to prevent the formation of any further amountof gas within the container. However, when it is desired to close offthe device when no further gas is desired the operator will move thecrank arm 31 to throw the plate 32 further upwardly into position sothat the compressible ball valve member It is clamped tightly againstthe lower rim of the cylindrical passage 9. This absolutely seals thelower end of the passage and prevents any possibility of gas beinggenerated when the device is out of commission.

Gas formed within the upper portion of the container will find an outletfor consumption through a pipe 4! which terminates at a level toward theupper end of the container above the water level. This pipe extendsdownwardly and through the lower wall of the container to conmeet at itslower end with a manifold 52. The outlet end of this manifold is throughan upwardly extending pipe 53 which passes upwardly to a point above thewater level and then is curved and extended downwardly into a chamber44. Said chamber is separate from the interior of the main container butis formed against the inner wall of the main chamber. The lower portionof the chamber 44 has liquid therein indicated at 45 which stands in thechamber to a predetermined level. The pipe 43 extends to a point nearthe bottom of the chamber M and allows the passage of gas from the lowerend thereof and upwardly to an outlet 46 leading to a place ofconsumption of gas. A hand-operated valve 41 is shown in this line.

Further down in the chamber M is a lateral outlet pipe so which may beclosed by a cap member 39. This outlet pipe will be left open when thedevice is in operation and forms a safety outlet for the water 45 in thechamber in case of backfiring. It will be obvious that when there is abackward surge in the line 16 due to back firin the pressure on theupper face of the liquid 5 will be relieved by a discharge of saidliquid through the outlet 48. It will be noted that the upper end of thepipe 43 is above the normal liquid level. This safety provision is amaterial improvement.

I also provide a vent for any gas which may be formed and accumulated inthe upper chamber 50 above the carbide. This outlet is through a pipe 5|having therein a check valve 52, said pipe being extended inwardlythrough the upper wall of the housing and downwardly through the lowerwall of the housing to connect at 53 with the manifold 42. Gas from theupper chamber 50 may thus pass out of the container through the gasfeeding pipe 43.

In the norm-a1 operation of the device the carbide which is fed from thehopper 1 will pass into the liquid,and gas will be generated. However,the solid particles of the carbide will sink down to the bottom of thecontainer and engage upon the lower wall 2 of the container. As seen inFig. -5 this lower wall has two of its sides indicated at 54 and 54'sloping downwardly to join with the lower plate 55, which forms part ofthe semi-circular bottom of the container, The solid portion of thecarbide will hence accumulate along the curved portion 55 and can bedrawn off through the pipe 3. It is found, however, that when attempt ismade to draw off the solid particles upon the bottom that they will notcirculate out through the drain pipe 3. I therefore provide an agitatorso formed that the arms thereof may be worked through the packed solidmaterial on the bottom. This agitator comprises a cross shaft 56 mountedin the side walls of the container and having radially extending arms 57thereon midway between the ends of the shaft. An outer crank arm 58 isformed upon the shaft so that said shaft may be rotated when itsoperation is desired.

As will be seen from Fig. 4, a plurality of arms 5'! may be formed onthe shaft 55 and upon each of these arms is an agitating member 59. Saidagitating member is made up of a plate of flat sheet metal which isformed into V-shape with the angle of the V formed into a cylindricalhearing member 69 fitting upon the arm 51 between an inner stop flange6| and an outer flange or head 62. One end of the V-shaped plate 59 isbeveled oif, as shown at 64, to avoid contact with the bottom of thereceptacle. This attachment between the agitating plate 64 and the arm51 upon which it is mounted allows a free swinging of the plate upon thearm. As the plate is approximately V-shape in end view it will be seenthat when it is advanced by the rotation of the shaft 56 into thematerial packed upon the bottom the angle of the V- haped plate willprecede the body thereof so that I have a wedge thus formed which whenmoved through the packed material will force it laterally away from thearm and cause it to be mixed with the liquid in such manner that it willbe carried off through the outlet. The shaft 56 may be rotated back andforth, if desired, and it will be obvious that when the arms 51 aremoved to the left of their position in Fig. 4 the plates 59 will turn onthe arms 51 so that the small angle of the plate will be upon theadvancing side of the arm. I am thus enabled to penetrate the packedmaterial upon the bottom and stir it up in a most effective manner sothat the container may be cleared of the packed carbide upon the bottom.

The operation of the device has already been described. The customaryoperation of the valve to close ed the generation of further gas in thecontainer will be accomplished automatically as described by themovement of the tapered valve member l0 into the passage 9. However, thelower end of the passage may be hermetically sealed by the operatorthrough the rotation of the shaft or rod 36 which engages the plate 32and moves the large valve member ll into tight sealing engagement withthe lower end of the passage 9. Thus the operator can close off thevalve at any time in case the device is not to be used and he will beassured that there is no possibility of the generation of further gas byleakage of carbide into the liquid in the tank.

The provision also of a means to prevent damage to the receptacle orexplosion of gas therein through back firing is effectively accomplishedwithout any shock to the device because of the pressure vent through theoutlet 48 as described. As shown in Fig. 2, I have provided safety valve65 in the dome of the receptacle, the said valve closing an opening 66in the receptacle and held in closed position by a spring 61 with apredetermined force. When, however, the pressure within the containerexceeds this force the valve will be unseated and gas may escape. I havealso shown a hand-operated lever 68 by means of which this valve may bemoved. This is no part of the present invention.

The device thus provided is simple in construction and is adapted to bepositively operated and controlled so as to be safe in use.

What is claimed is:

1. In an acetylene generator, a closed container, the lower end of whichforms a water receptacle, a carbide hopper in the upper end of saidcontainer, having a cylindrical lower outlet therein, a compound valvedevice adapted to close the lower end of said outlet including anupwardly tapered valve member to move into said passage, and acompressible, approximately spherical member of larger diameter thanthat of said passage below said valve member, fluid pressure operatedmeans to move said tapered valve member into position in said passage toclose off the passage of carbide therethrough and manually operatedmeans to thereafter move said spherical member to close said passagebelow said tapered member.

2. In an acetylene generator, a closed container, the lower end of whichforms a water receptacle, a carbide hopper in the upper end of saidcontainer, having a cylindrical lower outlet therein, a compound valvedevice adapted to close the lower end of said outlet including anupwardly tapered valve member to move into said passage, a valve stemthereon, a valve of larger diameter on said stem below said taperedvalve member, a hinged plate upon which said larger valve and said stemare mounted, means operating in response to a predetermined gas pressurein said container to move said plate sufficiently to force said taperedvalve into said passage, and hand operated means to move said platefurther and force said larger valve into sealing engagement with thelower end of said passage, said hand operated means holding said valvein closed position.

3. In an acetylene generator, a container to hold liquid and gas, meansat the upper end of said container to feed carbide into said liquid, agas outlet pipe having an inlet opening in said container above theliquid level, a separate discharge chamber having liquid partly fillingthe same, an outlet end on said gas outlet pipe below said liquid levelin said chamber, said chamber having a discharge opening adjacent itsupper end, and an opening relief pipe from said chamber connecting withsaid chamber below the liquid level therein, and having its dischargeend above said liquid level.

4. In an acetylene generator, a tank adapted to be partly filled withwater, a carbide hopper adjacent the upper end of said tank, means tocontrol the feed of carbide from said hopper into said water, a drainconduit at the lower end of said tank, an agitator adjacent said lowerend including a rotatable shaft, an arm thereon in said tank, a sleeverotatable on said arm, and two rearwardly inclined plates on said sleeveadapted to be moved by the rotation of said shaft to agitate materialtending to clog said conduit.

5. In an acetylene generator, a tank, adapted to be partly filled withwater, a carbide hopper including a funnel shaped wall having a sealingsupport at its outer margin on said tank, a carbide outlet at the lowerend of said hopper, means to control the feed of carbide from saidhopper into said Water, a manifold below said tank, a gas conductingpipe from within said tank below said hopper to said manifold, a ventpipe from the upper end of said hopper to said manifold, a dischargepipe from said manifold, a gas outlet chamber having liquid therein to adesired level, the lower end of said discharge pipe terminating belowthe liquid in said chamber, a gas discharge line leading from saidchamber, and a normally open vent pipe from said chamber.

JAMES C. DICKENS.

